Training
by Auroraas
Summary: Pre-LoK, Aang/Katara "Take all the pain, the grief, and let it go."


"Sifu Katara," the young man bends knee to her, head bowed in a gesture of respect. "We are honored that you have agreed to instruct our daughter."

The man's wife and young daughter stand a few paces behind him. His wife is gazing at her with an expression that borders on reverence, and the bouncing ball of energy at her side is giving the waterbending master an appraising once-over, her small mouth pursed in thought. Finally, she smiles; a large, toothy grin spreads across her face like lightning, and she bounds up to the elderly woman.

"I'm Korra! Who are you?" the child's eyes are a light, piercing blue, much like her own. Her smile is guileless, much like Aang's was, and Katara feels her breath catch in her throat. She forces herself to smile, and regains the power of speech after several moments.

"My name is Katara. I'm going to be your waterbending teacher." she informs her new pupil, bending down to the girl's level despite her protesting knees.

"Okay!" Korra replies, and her grin widens.

.

.

.

Korra is a natural, a fact that is made abundantly clear on her first day of training. The young Avatar masters the basics with almost no effort, and soon, she is pleading to move on to the more advanced moves. She bounces up and down on her feet, her eyes growing large while a winning smile creeps its way across her features.

"_Pleeeease_?" the girl's voice has adopted a whining undertone, and Katara chuckles despite herself.

"You remind me of my daughter, Kya, when she was your age. She was never content with practicing, she always wanted to learn more." the elderly woman moves over to Korra, whose eyes are still imploring her to change her mind. Katara shakes her head in amusement. "The answer is still 'no'."

"But Sifu Katara," she drags out the last syllable of her name in annoyance. "I can already do this- look!"

Korra summons water from a nearby pool with ease, and begins to move it up and down in a movement akin to a serpent. Katara's eyes widen in shock, and she is unable to move for a few moments. This has happened before; Korra has shown signs that Aang's spirit lives on in her. But Katara has always been able to ignore it, or at least suppress her grief.

Not this time.

A single tear trails down Katara's face, the harbinger of many more. Before she knows it, she is on her knees, her face in her hands.

"Sifu Katara?" Korra's voice is a soft whisper, barely audible over the sounds of the older woman's sobs. The child slowly makes her way over to her mentor, tentatively placing her small hand on Katara's shoulder.

"I thought I could... I can't." Katara hisses, her hands shaking as they cover her face.

"You can't what?" Korra asks, confusion obvious in her tone. Katara spares a glance to the young girl's face, and a pang of guilt hits her.

"I can't..." she speaks, her voice gaining volume. A cold breeze washes over her, then, and she shivers.

"What can't you do?" the voice is deeper, lower pitched, undeniably male. Undeniably _familiar_. Katara looks up swiftly, and gasps at what she sees.

_Aang_. Healthy, strong, younger than he had been when he died. Standing where Korra was only a moment ago, he is looking at her affectionately. His hand moves from its resting place on her shoulder, to her cheek. His thumb gently wipes away her tears, and Katara can only look at him in wonder.

A small squeak leaves her mouth, and she calls his name before pushing herself to her feet and launching herself into his arms. She sighs as her body molds into his; she has never forgotten how perfectly they had fit together. Her tears are still coming of their own volition, but the overwhelming grief that had caused her tears before has gone. She is... _content_, for the first time in a long time.

"Aang. Aang." she can't seem to stop saying his name, as if trying to convince herself that he is real.

"Katara." he chuckles, pulling back from her tight embrace with ease. He cups her face in one hand, and strokes her hair with the other, before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Aang... why... how?" her voice raises an octave, her eyes searching his with interest. He smiles warmly at her.

"Remember our visit to Chin Village?" Katara smiles at the memory: nearly getting boiled in oil, proving Avatar Kyoshi's innocence, eating raw dough.. not one of their better adventures. But she does remember what he is speaking of. Kyoshi had somehow possessed Aang's body when he was on trial; perhaps that's what is happening now.

"Yes." Katara answers, pulling Aang even closer.

"I need to speak with you, Katara." Aang kisses her lightly, swiftly. Her blue eyes close, and she deepens the kiss slightly. He breaks it, sighing.

"About what?" she murmurs, her eyes fluttering open.

"Korra." her husband states plainly. "You're letting your feelings for me get in the way of training her."

Katara's eyes narrow. Aang shakes his head.

"Sweetie, not now. You know I'm right; you need to let go." At the first sign of protest, he silences her with a kiss. "Not completely. I'll always be with you, I'll always be with Korra. But it _is_ important that you train her. She needs to learn from the best."

Katara's eyes fill with tears, quickly, and Aang wipes them away once again.

"I know you still don't want to. But do it, please. For me."

Katara closes her eyes, inhales slowly, and opens them reluctantly.

"How? I can't even _look_ at her without thinking of you. She has your smile, you know that?"

The corner of Aang's mouth tilts upwards, and he strokes her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Let go, remember? Take all the pain, the grief, and let it go."

"O...kay." she agrees, the word tasting bitter in her mouth. Aang smiles at her, then, with a sense of finality.

"I love you." he whispers to her, and she smiles slightly. "Give my love to Kya and Tenzin, tell Bumi to stay out of trouble."

"I love you, too. So much." she states, and leans forward to kiss him. He returns her kiss, and deepens it. Their lips lock and re-lock, until Aang breaks the kiss. He wraps her in an embrace, and they simply stand like that for a moment. A cold breeze washes over them, then, and the body in Katara's arms shrinks considerably.

"Sifu Katara?" a small voice asks, sleepily. "What happened?"

Katara tightens her embrace around Korra, and kisses her forehead. "I'll tell you later." the waterbending master rises, straightening up and composing herself, quickly.

"For now, we have some training to do."


End file.
